Educational Game Board

ABSTRACT

An educational device comprising a game board demarcated with a plurality of positions, each position having associated with it and actuator, actuation of which causes the communication device to provide instruction to the player as to what the player is supposed to do. A player can activate a random number generator to determine how many positions to move. Once instruction has been received, the player utilizes game pieces on the game board to execute the instruction. By going through this process, any player can learn a particular skill or gain particular knowledge that can be applied in life.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/627,107, filed Sep. 19, 2011, which application isincorporated in its entirety here by this reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to an educational device to teach skills orimpart knowledge on a player, particularly those who may have a learningdisability.

BACKGROUND

According to the U.S. Department of Education, learning disabilitiesaffect approximately 5% of all children enrolled public schools. Somereports indicate that as many as 1 out of 5 people in the United Stateshave a learning disability. Some children with learning disabilities endup in a special class of their own so they can learn at their own pace.However, even with these special classes, these children may still havedifficulty learning and retaining certain life skills. One challenge inteaching these children, or any child, and even many adults, is theability to maintain their attention long enough to teach them a skill orhelp them gain knowledge. Most people, however, are able to maintaintheir focus when the task they are focused on is fun and entertaining.

To the inventor's knowledge, there are no versatile fun games that helpteach children with learning disabilities learn, gain, and retain avariety of new skills or knowledge applicable in life. For the foregoingreasons there is a need for an educational device that help anybody,particularly those with a learning disability, to learn and acquire avariety of new skills and knowledge that can be used in everyday life.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a device and method that enables aplayer to learn specific skills or gain specific knowledge applicable inlife. The device comprises a game board having marked positions and aplurality of game pieces. In some embodiments, the educational devicemay comprise player pieces. Each position has associated with it anactuator, actuation of which causes a communication device to giveinstruction to the player. The player then executes the instruction,which may involve processing of the game pieces. A neutral party maydetermine whether the instruction was executed correctly. Alternatively,or in addition to, the gameboard may comprise a sensor to detect whetherinstructions were carried out correctly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the top perspective view of an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 shows a bottom perspective view thereof.

FIG. 3 shows the view in FIG. 2 with the base removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appendeddrawings is intended as a description of presently-preferred embodimentsof the invention and is not intended to represent the only forms inwhich the present invention may be constructed or utilized. Thedescription sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps forconstructing and operating the invention in connection with theillustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the sameor equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by differentembodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spiritand scope of the invention.

The present invention is directed towards an educational tool 100 andmethod to help students, pupils, trainees, apprentices, associates, andthe like, learn or develop a skill, gain general or special knowledge,or otherwise become proficient, or even an expert, at something he orshe was not proficient at doing before, all in a fun and effectivemanner Although applicable in all areas of life for any user, this tool100 is particularly effective in teaching those who may be challenged inlearning and/or dexterity.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the preferred embodiment, the educationaltool 100 comprises a board 104 rotatably mounted on a base 200, aplurality of game pieces 106 a, 106 b, 106 c, etc., and, optionally, aplurality of player pieces 108 a, 108 b, 108 c, etc. Preferably, theboard 104 is circular. However, it can be any other shape, such as atriangle, rectangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, andthe like. The shape of the board 104 also need not be symmetrical or aregular geometric shape, so long as it has a surface area to play on.Preferably, to improve transportability or storage, the board 104 may beconstructed in two or more foldable pieces 104 a, 104 b, 104 c. Forexample, the two or more pieces 104 a, 104 b, 104 c may be connected byone or more hinges 202 a, 202 b so as to be foldable into a compactdevice. In some embodiments, the board 104 may be a single integralpiece.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the preferred embodiment, the board 104 comprisesa top surface 112 having a center and terminating at at least oneperimeter edge 114. For example, if the board 104 is circular, it wouldbe considered as having one continuous perimeter edge 114. A triangularboard would be considered as having three edges, a rectangular boardwith four edges, and so on.

The top surface 112 may be flat or convex to provide a platform uponwhich the game pieces 106 and player pieces 108 may be set. In someembodiments, the top surface 112 is magnetic. For example, the topsurface 112 may be made of a magnet. Alternatively, a large magnet or aplurality of smaller magnets may be placed underneath the top surface112 with the top surface 112 being made of a material through which themagnetic force can be felt, such as sheet metal. This allows the topsurface 112 to be made of or covered with a material that is moresuitable or comfortable to play on. For example, the top surface 112 mayhave a covering 116, such as paint, cloth, canvas, nylon, vinyl,leather, paper, silk, or other synthetic or non-synthetic fabrics andmaterial, and any combination thereof.

Alternatively, instead of magnetizing the top surface 112, the topsurface 112 may comprise other means for preventing the game pieces 106and/or player pieces 108 from falling off the board 104 or otherunwanted movement on the board 104. For example, the top surface 112 maycomprise an adhesives, hook-n-loop fasteners, non-slip surface, buttons,pegs or holes, and the like, to which the game pieces 106 and/or playerpieces 108 may be temporarily and reversibly placed or fastened.

The board 104 also comprises a bottom surface 204 opposite the topsurface 112. The bottom surface 204 may be a solid, hard flat piece ofmaterial, such as wood, plastic, metal, and the like. The bottom surface204 allows the top surface 104 to be mounted on the base 200.Preferably, the bottom surface 204 is mounted on the base 200 in arotatable manner so that, while the base 200 maintains a solidfoundation, the top surface 104 can rotate so as to change theorientation of the board 104 relative to the players. This makes iteasier for the players to manipulate the game pieces 106 and/or playerpieces 108 on the board 104 since the players do not have to move aroundor reach over the board 104, but rather, simply rotate the board 104 soas to bring pieces 106, 108 within their reach.

The top surface 112 also comprises a plurality of positions 118 a, 118b, 118 c, etc. (collectively referenced as 118) to designate where theplayers are to be on the board 104 and where they are to go on theirnext turn. In the preferred embodiment, the board 104 is circular andthe positions 118 are uniformly and angularly spaced apart along theperimeter edge 114 on the top surface 104 as shown in FIG. 1. Theplurality of positions 118 may be printed on to the top surface 104 ormay be designated by a physical object. Alternatively, the positions 118may be defined by recesses within the board 104 or protrusions.

Adjacent to each position 118 a, 118 b, 118 c, etc. is at least oneactuator 120 a, 120 b, 120 c, etc. (collectively referenced as 120). Theactuators 120 may be any device that can activate a communication device122. For example, the actuators 120 may be buttons, switches, touchsensors, heat sensors, and the like. The communication device 122 may beany audio player, video player, audio-video player, multimedia player,computer, and the like, or any other device that can communicateinstructions to the players, such as books, cards, pamphlets, paper,whiteboard, chalkboard, dry erase board, and the like. Thus, theinstructions may be given orally, visually, or both. In the event theplayers cannot read, instructions may be given pictographically usingfamiliar pictures to communicate the instructions. For example,binoculars may be used to represent the words “find,” numbers may beshown numerically rather than in written form. The instructions arerelated to the subject matter for which the players are interested indeveloping proficiency. Therefore, the instructions may request theplayer to perform a calculation, solve a problem, perform a sequence ofsteps, identify a person, place or thing, and the like. Preferably, theinstructions involve the players performing some act with the gamepieces 106. Each actuator 120 a, 120 b, 120 c, etc. may be operativelyconnected to the communication device 122 such that actuation of anyactuator 120 a, 120 b, 120 c, etc. will cause the communication device122 to give instruction to the player. For example, as shown in FIG. 3,a bus 206 may be configured to receive communications from the actuators120 via a plurality of wires 208 (or wirelessly). The bus 206 can beconnected to the communication device 122 such that activation of theactuators 120 activates the communication device 122.

A plurality of instructions may be pre-recorded on the communicationdevice 122 such that when an actuator 120 is activated one of theinstructions is played to give the player instructions on what to doduring his or her turn. In some embodiments, the communication device122 may be programmable to receive additional instructions or editpreviously stored instructions. In some embodiments, the plurality ofinstructions may be stored in separate electronic files that can beloaded by the players depending on type of game the players want toplay. A screen 124 may be provided on the communication device 122 fromwhich the players can select the type of games they want to play from adatabase of games and/or instructions. In some embodiments, eachactuator 120 may be connected to its own communication device 122.Therefore, each communication device will be independent from eachother.

If the communication device is purely an audio player, then preferably,the audio player is placed below the top surface 112 so that it cannotbe seen or obstruct the game pieces 106 on the top surface 112. In suchan embodiment, the top surface 112 or the bottom surface 204 may definea cavity 210 in which the audio device can be housed.

In some embodiments, the communication device 122 may be a video playerin which case the video player is placed on the top surface 112 so as tobe visible by the players. In the preferred embodiment, thecommunication device 122 is a multimedia player, such as a computer,tablet, gaming console, and the like. Therefore, the communicationdevice 122 may have an input device, such as keyboard, mouse, gamecontroller, touch screen 124, microphone with voice-recognitionsoftware, and the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments,the communication device 122 may also serve as or provide a randomnumber generator. Alternatively, the random number generator may bestandard die, spinner, and the like. By way of example only, thecommunication device 122 may be an electronic computing device, such asan iPad® or and iPod Touch® for which an app can be created to performthe functions described herein for the communication device 122.

The instructions can be formatted in a number of different ways. Forexample, the communication device 122 may comprise a memory storing alist of instructions. Each time an actuator 120 is actuated, the nextinstruction on the list is given. In some embodiments, the communicationdevice 122 is a computing device comprising a memory and processor thatcan also keep track of the plays that have been made and the playersthat have made the plays. Therefore, the instructions given may bedependent on how each player has been performing and the types ofinstructions that have been given. For example, since the educationaltool 100 is designed to improve the players' skill or knowledge the nextinstruction given to a player may be dependent on how he or sheperformed on the previous instruction. Thus, the communication device122 may be configured to keep track of what instructions were given toeach player and how well or correctly the player has executed thoseinstructions. With increasing accuracy and proficiency in followinginstructions, subsequent instructions can become more difficult.Conversely, if a player is having a hard time following instructions,subsequent instructions may become easier.

Returning to the board 104, the top surface 112 may further comprise areceiving portion 126 to receive the game pieces 106 that have been usedin play. Preferably, the receiving portion 126 is positioned on the topsurface 112 centrally inwardly relative to the plurality of positions118. This allows the players to move their player pieces 108 along theperimeter of the game board 104 and place or discard any used gamepieces 106 towards the center of the board 104 so as not to interferewith the regular play of the game. For example, the receiving portion126 may be at or near the center of the board 104. However, thereceiving portion 126 can be placed anywhere, including along theperimeter edge 114. The receiving portion 126 may be demarcated by avisual marking or a physical marking. In some embodiments, the receivingportion 126 may be recessed into the board 104 so as to better containthe game pieces placed therein. In other embodiments, the receivingportion 126 may be a tray on top of the board 104 or on the edge 114.

In some embodiments, the receiving portion 126 may comprise a sensor 128to determine which of the game pieces 106 were placed on the receivingportion 126. The sensor 128 can be used to determine whether the correctnumber and type of game pieces were placed in the receiving portion 126in relation to the instruction given. Thus, the sensor 128 may also beoperatively connected to the communication device 122. For example, thesensor 128 may be a scale to weigh the game pieces 106 placed in thereceiving portion 126. Each game piece 106 may have a unique weightassociated with it so that when an instruction is given, the correctanswer will result in a unique total weight. The communication device122 may time the player and consider the total weight after apredetermined time, or the player may indicate to the communicationdevice when he or she has completed the instruction and is ready for thereading to be taken.

In some embodiments, the sensor 128 may be an optical sensor 130, suchas a scanner or camera to optically determine which game pieces 106 wereplaced in the receiving portion 126 by reading a marking on the gamepiece 106, such as a bar code, or detecting the physical shape, size,dimension, or any other unique visible characteristic of the game pieces106. In such an embodiment, the educational tool 100 would not require areceiving portion 126 as the players could simply have the game pieces106 scanned and placed in a generic discard pile off the board 104. Theoptical sensor 130 may be an external device relative to thecommunication device 122 or integrally part of the communication device122.

The educational tool 100 may further comprise a plurality of game pieces106. In embodiments in which the communication device 122 is amultimedia player, the game pieces 106 may be displayed electronicallyon the communication device 122. Preferably, the game pieces 106 aretangible physical pieces that can be picked up and examined by theplayers. The game pieces 106 may come in a variety of forms, types, anddenominations. In one example, the game pieces 106 may be money, such asbills and coins.

Depending on the type of learning experience desired, the game pieces106 may be randomly positioned on the top surface 112 or systematicallyarranged on the top surface 112. Preferably, since the positions 118 arearranged adjacent to the perimeter edge 114 of the board 104, the gamepieces 106 are placed centrally inwardly relative to the plurality ofpositions 118. For example, on a circular board 104, the game pieces 106are positioned radially inward relative to the plurality of positions118. However, during the setup of a game, the game pieces 106 would beplaced outside the receiving portion 126.

The game pieces 106 are configured to be removable from the top surface112 and placed into the receiving portion 126. The game pieces 106 maycomprise a means for temporarily and reversibly fastening the game piece106 to the board 104. For example, the game pieces 106 may comprise amagnet or be magnetized. Alternatively, the game pieces 106 may comprisean adhesive, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, pegs or holes, and thelike that is reciprocal to the fastening mechanism used on the board104.

The education tool may further comprise a plurality of player pieces 108positionable on the board 104 and configured to be moved from position118 a to position 118 b so the player knows which actuators 120 toactuate on his or her turn in response to the random number generator.Therefore, the player pieces 108 may also comprise an adhesive, hook andloop fasteners, buttons, pegs or holes, and the like, to be temporarilyand reversibly fastened to the positions 118. In turn, the positions 118have the reciprocal fastening mechanism to temporarily and reversiblyfasten the player pieces 108.

In some embodiments, player pieces 108 are not necessary. Rather, eachplayer may sit at one of the plurality of positions 118 as his or herdesignated spot. On the player's turn, the player simply presses theactuator 120 and receives instruction on what to do with the game pieces106. In such embodiments, even the plurality of positions 118 and therandom number generator are not required.

EXAMPLES

Due to the configuration of the board 104, multiple different types ofskills and knowledge in a variety of different fields may be acquired.By way of example only, the educational tool 100 may be used to teachthe players how to count money. A circular dome-shaped board 104 may beprovided with a plurality of positions 118 uniformly spaced apart alongthe perimeter edge 114 of the top surface 112 on the board 104. Variousdenominations of currency, such as bills and coins may be used as thegame pieces 106 and randomly distributed on the board 104, radiallyinwardly relative to the positions 118. All players may begin at thesame starting point. A player actuates the random number generator (i.e.rolls standard die, spins a standard spinner, or actuates an electronicrandom number generator on the communication device 122) and moves hisplayer piece 108 the designated number of spaces. The player can thenactuate the actuator 120 a adjacent to the position 118 a landed on andreceive the instruction. The communication device 122 gives instructionto the player to gather a specific amount of money. For example, theinstruction may be to “collect twenty-seven cents with three coins.” Theplayer then looks on the board 104 and figures out which coins will berequired to collect in order to get the correct quantity and amountrequested on the instruction. Once the player thinks he or she has theproper coins, the player places the collected money on the receivingportion 126. The sensor 128 on the receiving portion reads, measures, orweighs the coins placed in the receiving portion 126 and thecommunication device 122 calculates the exact amount collected anddetermines whether the player has executed the instruction correctly.The communication device 122 announces whether the instruction wasexecuted correctly. Alternatively, a neutral party can determine whetherthe instruction had been executed correctly. If correct, the player maygo again. Otherwise, the next player takes a turn.

In another embodiment, the communication device 122 may display atypical menu from a fast food restaurant listing the items for sale andtheir corresponding price. A player actuates the random number generator(i.e. rolls standard die, spins a standard spinner, or actuates anelectronic random number generator on the communication device 122) andmoves his player piece the designated number of spaces. Upon activatingthe actuator 120, the communication device 122 may request the player tocollect sufficient money to purchase a specific item on the menu. Theplayer will have to identify the item in the menu, figure out thecorresponding price, then collect the exact amount and place it into thereceiving portion 126. The receiving portion 126 sends its reading tothe communication device 122 to determine whether the correct amount isplaced in the receiving portion 126. The communication device 122 thennotifies the player whether the amount is correct or not.

In another embodiment, the educational tool 100 may test spelling orletter recognition. A plurality of letters from the alphabet may berandomly distributed on the top surface 112 of the board 104 as the gamepieces 106. On a player's turn, the player actuates the random numbergenerator (i.e. rolls standard die, spins a standard spinner, oractuates an electronic random number generator on the communicationdevice 122). The communication device 122 announces a word or shows apicture. The player then collects the letters in the proper sequencethat spells the word or subject matter of the picture and places theletters into the receiving portion 126 in the proper sequence. Thesensor 128 reads the game pieces 106 and sends the information to thecommunication device 122. The communication device 122 determineswhether the word was spelled correctly based on the sequence with whicheach letter was placed in the receiving portion 126 or optically read bythe optical sensor 130.

The educational tool of the present invention can be used to teach asubject matter including, but not limited to, history, any foreignlanguage, English language arts, all branches of mathematics, geography,all branches of science, all recognition skills, social skills, businessskills (including all business applications such as real estate,accounting, retail and wholesale applications), any and all applicationsthat apply to the legal profession and to all aspects of the medicalprofession and any and all educational and non-educational games andactivities including security professionals and law-enforcement and themilitary. The game board, without further modification, can be used tofacilitate training in all areas of education, business, the government,and military, including all of the above-mentioned locations andprofessions.

Software applications can be created with rules and instructions forwhatever game type the players to play as well as varying difficultylevels. All that is required to change the game for a new trainingregime is to clear the board of the game pieces and place new gamepieces relevant to the new game on the board, and follow the rules forthe new game or open the application on the communication device 122pertaining to the new game.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the inventionhas been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. Itis not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to theprecise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possiblein light of the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of theinvention not be limited by this detailed description, but by the claimsand the equivalents to the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. An educational tool, comprising: a. a base; b. acircular board rotatably mounted on the base, the circular boardcomprising: i. a top surface having a center and terminating at aperimeter edge, wherein the top surface is magnetic, ii. a bottomsurface opposite the top surface, the bottom surface mounted on thebase, iii. a plurality of positions on the top surface uniformly andangularly spaced apart along the perimeter edge, iv. a plurality ofactuators, one actuator adjacent to one position, and v. a receivingportion positioned on the top surface radially inwardly relative to theplurality of positions; c. a plurality of game pieces randomlypositioned on the top surface radially inwardly relative to theplurality of positions, wherein each game piece is magnetized; d. aplurality of player pieces positionable on the board; e. a communicationdevice operatively connected to each actuator, wherein actuation of anyactuator activates the communication device to give a specificinstruction regarding the game piece; and f. a random number generator.2. The educational tool of claim 1, wherein the communication devicecomprises an audio component to give oral instructions.
 3. The educationtool of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a visualcomponent to give visual instructions.
 4. The educational tool of claim3, wherein the visual component is a touch screen located at the centerof the board.
 5. The educational tool of claim 1, wherein the receivingportion comprises a sensor to determine which of the game pieces wereplaced on the receiving portion.
 6. The educational tool of claim 1,wherein the communication device comprises an optical sensor todetermine whether the specific instruction was executed correctly.
 7. Aneducational tool, comprising: a. a base; b. a board rotatably mounted onthe base, the board comprising: i. a top surface having a center andterminating at at least one perimeter edge, ii. a bottom surfaceopposite the top surface, the bottom surface mounted on the base, iii. aplurality of positions on the top surface uniformly spread along the atleast one perimeter edge, iv. a plurality of actuators, one actuatoradjacent to one position, and v. a receiving portion positioned on thetop surface, c. a plurality of game pieces positionable on the topsurface centrally inwardly relative to at least one of the plurality ofpositions, but outside the receiving portion, wherein each game piece isconfigured to reversibly fasten to the top surface; d. a plurality ofplayer pieces positionable on the board; and e. a communication deviceoperatively connected to each actuator, wherein actuation of anyactuator activates the communication device to give a specificinstruction regarding the game piece.
 8. The educational tool of claim7, wherein the top surface is magnetized.
 9. The educational tool ofclaim 7, wherein the game pieces are randomly distributed on the topsurface.
 10. The educational tool of claim 7, wherein the communicationdevice comprises an audio component to give oral instructions.
 11. Theeducation tool of claim 7, wherein the communication device comprises avisual component to give visual instructions.
 12. The educational toolof claim 11, wherein the visual component comprises a touch screen. 13.The educational tool of claim 7, wherein the communication device is acomputing device comprising a processor and memory, wherein thecomputing device is configured to give the specific instruction inresponse to actuation of one of the actuators.
 14. The education tool ofclaim 7, wherein the communication device comprises a sensor todetermine whether the specific instruction was executed correctly. 15.The educational tool of claim 7, wherein the receiving portion comprisesa sensor to determine which of the game pieces were placed on thereceiving portion.
 16. A method for teaching, comprising: a. providingan educational device, comprising: i. a base; ii. a board rotatablymounted on the base, the board comprising: (a) a top surface having acenter and terminating at at least one perimeter edge, (b) a bottomsurface opposite the top surface, the bottom surface mounted on thebase, (c) a plurality of positions on the top surface uniformly spreadalong the at least one perimeter edge, (d) a plurality of actuators, oneactuator adjacent to one position, and (e) a receiving portionpositioned on the top surface centrally inwardly relative to at leastone of the plurality of positions; iii. a plurality of game piecespositionable on the top surface centrally inwardly relative to at leastone of the plurality of positions, wherein each game pieces comprise areversible fastening mechanism; iv. a plurality of player piecespositionable on the board; v. a communication device operativelyconnected to each actuator, wherein actuation of any actuator activatesthe communication device to give a specific instruction regarding thegame piece; b. providing a random number generator actuatable by theplayers to determine a number of positions to move the player pieces, inturn; c. giving an instruction to a first player in response toactuation of one of the plurality of actuators corresponding to one ofthe plurality of positions landed on by the first player in response toactuation of the random number generator; and d. determining whether theinstruction was executed correctly.
 17. The method of claim 16, whereinthe communication device is an electronic computing device.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, wherein the random number generator is provided bythe communication device.
 19. The method of claim 16, whereindetermining whether the instruction was executed correctly is determinedby a sensor.